Milwaukee Bucks Game Preview: Nov. 25 at Utah Jazz
By Adam McGee
Major key for Milwaukee – Attack the rim
Conventional wisdom would generally suggest that your best route to beating the Utah Jazz would come from scoring away from the basket, and a quick look at the stats may seem to back that up as Quin Snyder’s team are giving up the third least points in the paint for the season overall.
This isn’t your usual Jazz team, though.
With Rudy Gobert out injured, Utah’s interior defense is nowhere near as stifling as it was at points earlier in the season. In fact, it’s merely average.
Since Gobert’s injury was announced on November 12, the Jazz are only the league’s 15th best team in terms of limiting paint points. As the league’s best team in that department prior to Gobert’s injury, that’s quite an alteration to the Jazz’s identity.
The Bucks are currently sixth in the NBA in points in the paint, averaging 47.5 per game, and on Saturday they need to make sure they play the players who are out there in front of them, rather than paying deference to the Jazz’s reputation.
The Bucks have been caught settling in some of their more disappointing recent performances, and particularly if Giannis Antetokounmpo is back in action and feeling no ill-effects of his recent knee soreness, they’d be strongly advised to put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket often.